


Comrades

by longlostintentions



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nothing is graphic but be aware, Suicide Attempt, Teasing, Though he does use the pet name Princess, fluff towards the end, gender neutral reader, nothing happens though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 12:06:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14332131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longlostintentions/pseuds/longlostintentions
Summary: "Nyx Ulric was the most infuriating person you'd ever met, and literally the last thing you needed right now."You and Nyx cannot stand each other, but after he helps you out in a couple desperate situations you start thinking maybe he's not quite the hot-headed jackass you made him out to be. Well, okay, he's still a hot-head.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am blatant garbage for Enemies-to-Lovers, especially with this man. There is definitely not enough of those out there so I had to write one myself.

     You were halfway up a pillar, trying to wrench your blade free of the stone so you could get _down_ the pillar, when you heard a familiar voice below you.

“Need a hand, Princess?”

You glared down at the figure below you. Ever since he learned you despised when he called you that, he took every chance he could to do so. Nyx Ulric was the most infuriating person you'd ever met, and literally the last thing you needed right now.

“Get lost, Ulric.”

“I mean, this is just a thought. But maybe you should've learned how to throw a dagger before trying to warp up that big tall pillar all by yourself,” he taunted.

“Seriously, if you don't want to be run through, which I'd be happy to do by the way, then get the hell out of here!” you yelled in frustration.

“Isn't that pillar kinda big for you? Maybe you wanna start over back with the new kids?”

“Ulric! I've had about enough of--” you were interrupted by your own gasp as your blade finally broke free and you started hurtling downward. You threw your blade at the ground and had already started phasing into the warp when you noticed Nyx was, to your dismay, still at the foot of the pillar. You prepared for an impact as you dealt with the strange sensation of your brain lagging a little behind your body. You only collided with ground, Nyx had moved at the last second, and your flinching made you fumble your landing. You landed hard and skidded a little. Luckily the warp had slowed the momentum, or you'd probably be dead. You stood and glared at Nyx with complete fire in your eyes.

“What the hell Ulric?!”

He was frustratingly calm.

“Hey, don't blame me cause you can't stick a landing,” he said airily, walking out of the courtyard.

“Next time I'll _stick_ this fucking dagger in you instead!”

      When you walked into Drautos's office and saw Nyx standing there, you nearly just turned around and left. Drautos wasn't even there yet, but you knew if you skipped out on an order you'd be in trouble. Instead, you stood a few feet from Nyx, at attention, doing your best to ignore him. He wasn't even looking at you, but the whole time you were on edge, prepared for him to say something stupid. You felt a little safer when Drautos walked into the room, at least Nyx was less likely to be an ass in front of him. _Less_ likely.

“You've both heard of the recently constructed supply base in the Eastern part of Leide?” he began. You both nodded.

“It isn't one of ours,” he said.

“Pretty gutsy to build a supply base right in Lucis,” Nyx commented, and for once you agreed.

“They're hoping if they move slow enough towards the city we wont catch on,” Drautos proposed. You waited for further instruction.

“This is a simple reconnaissance. We need to know the layout of the base, every entry point, and any weaknesses before we attempt an attack.”

You had assumed you'd be stuck on a mission somewhere with Nyx, but it didn't make it any easier to hear.

“Stick to perimeter and guard towers _only_ ,” he warned, pointing at the both of you.

“Under no circumstances are you to infiltrate or engage except under threat of death. Is that clear?”

You both nodded again.

“Questions or concerns?” he didn't so much ask as declared it to signal the end of the meeting. Nyx stepped forward and you groaned inwardly.

“Sir, isn't two people for basic recon a little excessive? I could do this a lot quicker and easier on my own,” he said boldly. Drautos just rested a cold gaze on him

“That is the kind of attitude that is going to get you killed, Ulric,” he said patiently. You couldn't help a small outburst.

“Thank you, sir! That's what I--” you stopped when he turned his look to you instead.

“And you need to learn to co-operate with your comrades, regardless of your personal feelings towards them,” he continued. You averted your eyes.

“There will be a truck waiting for you in one hour for transport. You're dismissed.”

That was the end of it.

      In the back of the truck, you took to polishing your blades, mostly so you'd have something to keep you busy and more easily ignoring Nyx.

“Look, let's just go and get this over with and come home,” he said. You looked up at him briefly before going back to your blades.

“Sure. If you stay out of my way and don't do anything stupid it should be quick,” you responded.

“If you don't get us killed running your mouth,” he shot back. You scoffed.

“Look who's talking about running their mouth.”

      The truck left the two of you about a half mile from the base and went to hide under a rock outcropping. The foliage was sparse the closer you got to the base, and it was unnerving not to have proper cover. You both huddled under a guard tower.

“We should make a lap around the walls, to see if there's a back gate,” you suggested quietly.

“That's a good way to get ambushed. Let's get to the top of this tower and see where everything is first,” he countered.

“There's probably a guard up there.”

“So?”

“ _So_ , Drautos told us not to engage unless we had to.”

He stepped just outside the shadow of the tower and looked up the side.

“Well it's either this one or ten others,” he said, and before you could say anything he warped up to the second flight of steps. You tried not to let your temper flare as you followed. You both peered over the top of the platform, waiting for the MT to turn its back. As soon as it did, Nyx struck lightning fast, jamming a blade into the back of its neck and cause it to fall with a noise that made your skin crawl. You waited for any sign of detection but there was none. You finished the climb and looked out over the base.

“They've already got the Magitek field up,” you said despairingly as you spotted a piercing beam of light from an origin you couldn't see.

“Guess that's target number one,” Nyx responded.

“Well it's coming from behind the big building, a warehouse I think. We should see if there's an easy way in from that side.”

“Alright, let's go around back,” he said after checking the rough location for guards.

“I dunno, I was thinking of going in through the front gates,” you replied dryly. He made a face and jumped over the railing, warping to the side of the wall with you close on his heels.

      The next few minutes were spent skirting the side of the base to get behind it and tensely looking over your shoulders. When Nyx reached the end and peered around the corner he fell back, grabbing your arm and ducking into an alcove in the wall that was definitely not meant for two people. He put a finger to his lips and you glared at him but stayed put. The both of you watched as a vehicle full of boxes and a few guards hummed past your hiding spot. You both let out a breath and waited another minute before checking to see if it was clear. Getting out of the space was awkward and in this instance, you were glad you were smaller than him. You took a turn to look around the corner. There was a gate, presumably where the car had come from. There were also two MTs standing on either side of it. You cursed quietly. There was no way to walk past without being spotted.

“So let's take 'em out,” Nyx said, as if reading your thoughts. He was leaning over you looking around the corner too.

“No. No more engaging, you're on thin ice as it is.”

“You got a better plan, Princess?” he snipped. You looked around.

“We can go up that guard tower and warp to that one over there,” you suggested.

“That'll take more time. Besides, you're the one who wanted to scale this wall for weaknesses in the defense,” he argued. You sighed and rubbed the side of your head.

“Yeah okay, fine. You take the far one.”

He took the near one just to spite you.

      Nyx kicked a grate in the ground.

“Check it out. Looks like a way in,” he observed. You leered at the grate that was probably connected to a sewage line.

“A.... Last resort way in, but yeah,” you agreed, making a mental note of it.

“Afraid of getting a little dirty, Princess?” he jabbed, not without emphasized innuendo. You pushed past him before he could see you flush and kept walking to the far corner, pretending to study the wall as you went. This time, you spotted no guards around the corner, and you untensed just a little. You did, however, see the source of the beam just creeping above the top of the wall. You nudged Nyx and pointed to it.

“Well, if we can find a way in there we'll have it made.”

You walked half the wall and still there was no visible way in. You groaned in frustration then froze when you heard something, like heavy footsteps. You ducked into another alcove and tried to wave Nyx inside, but he was busy studying something on the wall and brushed you off. You saw an MT, bigger and quicker than the last ones, step beyond the wall. He hadn't noticed Nyx yet.

“Ulric, get in here. Now,” you said louder than you meant to. Its head snapped in your direction and it started making its way over, raising an axe above its head. Nyx had finally noticed it and brought his blades up to deflect just in time. He kicked it against the wall to give himself more time to think. You reached out of the alcove and shoved your dagger into the side of its head. It started to defunction but not before spouting off a loud beeping. What was worse, was the sudden echo of hundreds of identical beeping noises inside the base.

“That's not good...”

“Back to the van!” Nyx urged and you both broke into a run. A group of them met you at the gate and the both of you just barely put up weak barriers in time to block the spray of gunfire from them. You used your shield to push the nearest one and send it toppling into the group behind it. That was your cue. You passed the guard tower when the distinct sound of a car engine roared to life.

“Perfect...” Nyx muttered between breaths. By the time the vehicles even left the base, however, you were both tucked into the rocks next to the van, making sure you weren't being followed before diving into the back.

      Neither of you talked on the way back to the city. You both knew this mission was fucked. The two of you caught an earful from Drautos when you returned, and he had tiredly dismissed you both for the rest of the day. You pushed your way angrily past Nyx and went to the training room to get your stuff. He was close behind.

“Get over yourself, would you?” he said hotly. You turned on the spot and stared him down.

“Get over _myself_? If you would have just listened to me for once that could have been avoided!” you raised your voice. Now there were some other Glaives watching.

“If you could learn when to keep your mouth shut I could have handled it quietly!” he volleyed. You were both taking steps towards each other in the frustration of it.

“Maybe if you weren't such a hot-head all the time I wouldn't have to keep telling you how to do your job!”

“I did my job just fine without you and that stick up your ass!”

“Get fucked, Ulric!”

“I'd say the same but I don't think anyone could stand being around you that long!”

That hit close to home, and you didn't want him to know how much it actually stung. So you were relieved when a very annoyed Crowe marched between you.

“Alright kids, take a hike and cool off before I put you in time out,” she demanded. You both stormed off in separate directions.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emetophobia warning in this chapter. I marked the paragraph with * to let you skip it.

      Nyx was halfway through a drink and scouting the room for some offers when the door opened, letting in the cool evening air, and he saw you walk in. He turned back to the bar and buried his face in his drink hoping you wouldn't notice him. You walked right past and out of the corner of his eye he saw you approach a man a few seats down and hug him. He was surprised, but there really was no accounting for taste. Was nothing to him either way. He cautiously turned to look around the room again. He locked eyes with a sweet looking brunette and with a signature smile he hailed her over from across the bar.

“Boy, you sure know how to make a girl feel noticed,” she said as she sat down next to him. He leaned on the bar and took a sip of his drink.

“Who wouldn't notice you,” he complimented. She smiled and flagged down the bartender to order.

“On me,” he said, half to her half to the bartender. She laughed.

“Handsome and generous. Looks like it's my lucky night,” she commented.

“Looks like it,” he replied. They got to talking.

      Nyx eyes were naturally snagged by movement behind his new friend, just you getting up and heading in the direction of the bathrooms. He turned his attention back to his company because dammit she had her hand on his arm and she kept leaning in closer as she laughed. Before he could give her his full attention, his eyes were drawn again to the spot a few seats away. He would have ignored it, except the man you'd been with was scooting your drink over in front of him. Nyx knew enough scumbags to know that didn't bode well. He subtly shifted his position so he could see unbarred as the man slipped something out of his pocket, opened it up over your drink, and stirred casually. Then he slid it back over in front of your barstool and took out his phone. Shit. He might have hated you but he couldn't just let something like that go. He put his hand on the arm of his visitor and assured her he would be right back.

      When you emerged from the bathroom, you ran headfirst into someone.

“Oh! Shit, sorry I didn't--” your words stopped short when you looked up and saw Nyx of all people standing there.

“Ulric? What like I don't see enough of you at work?” you sighed. He rolled his eyes.

“It's a public bar, one I come to all the time I might add,” he said. It wasn't the reason he was here but he couldn't help getting on the defensive around you.

“I've never seen you here before,” you commented.

“Yeah well, I'm not usually here on Fridays, okay? Listen--” he tried but you cut him off.

“So why are you here this Friday?” you challenged. He looked at you in disbelief.

“I had a hard day, okay? Look--” he was getting agitated but you wouldn't let up. Part of you thought it was weird, the very night you had a date he happened to be there at the exact same time on a day he never came in?

“So it's a coincidence you're here while I'm on a date?” you asked suspiciously. He threw his hands up.

“I've been here for an hour already. Yeah, it's a coincidence. That's not the point,” he insisted.

“There was a point to me running into you?” you shot, trying to duck past him. He moved to block your way and your body tensed a little.

“Do you know that guy?” he asked suddenly. You squinted at him.

“None of your business, Ulric,” you snapped and tried to get around him again. He grabbed your shoulders lightly and directed you behind a wall, looking out to the bar.

“Hey, wait, wait, just listen--” he sounded hurried. He looked at his hands grabbing your shoulders and released you, taking a step back.

“Out of my way, Ulric, or I'll scream,” you huffed. He looked like he was actually debating whether or not to move. He was still battling with himself when he took a nervous step back. He made one last ditch effort to your retreating back.

“_____....” he said, and it made you pause. He never used your first name, and something in his voice was desperate.

“You _have_ to listen to me...” he practically pleaded. You turned to face him and crossed your arms.

“Okay, I'm listening...” you said, just a little more gently.

      Nyx cast a look over at the bar, the guy was still looking at his phone. He tugged you back behind the wal and you looked like you were about to strike again. He pressed his back to it.

“There, see? You can leave whenever you want. Just hear me out,” he was determined. You took a step into the shadows behind the wall.

“That guy out there, After you left, I saw him put something in your drink.”

You paled a little, even in the dim light. A mixture of fury and disbelief showed itself.

“Why the hell would you say something like that? Rob is an old friend, he wouldn't hurt a soul!” you demanded.

“Look, I don't know what this guy's deal is but I know what I saw! Why the hell would I lie about something like this?” he pressed. Your brain wracked desperately for something. He could see you searching.

“You were so sure I couldn't get a date before, must be pretty infuriating to know someone really _does_ want to be around me that long!” you raised your voice. He went beyond an eye roll, this was practically a whole head roll. Why were you so stubborn?!

“This isn't about me, and it isn't about some stupid argument! This is about some asshole who is trying to--” he got heated, but you cut him off again.

“Are we done here?” you asked. There was resolution in your eyes, he knew he wouldn't be able to say anything more. He sighed.

“Yeah. Your royal jackass awaits, Princess,” he said darkly before brushing past you. He gave the guy a long hard stare as he passed. The pretty brunette was gone, go figure. Probably for the best, he didn't really feel like taking anyone home now. He downed the rest of his drink, left a tip and stormed out of the bar.

      You watched Nyx leave, your pulse racing. Truthfully, what he had said sat uneasily in the back of your mind. It couldn't be true. You approached your date again, forcing a big smile.

“Sorry for the wait.”

He put his phone away and smiled.

“Was starting to think I'd lost you in there,” he said. You felt yourself easing just a little. You eyed your drink, trying not to look suspicious. You weren't sure you'd actually left it on the coaster, but it could have easily been the barkeep. You glanced down at the bar idly, and noticed a smudge in the polished surface. A trail about the size of your coaster, sliding to the left and back. His story must have made you more hyper aware than you thought. That wasn't proof of anything. It still sent your heart into a mad leap though. Your date's voice tore through your trance. He picked up his drink.

“To rekindled friendships?” he proclaimed. You lifted your own, suddenly aware of how cold it felt in your hands and you realized you were warm.

“Rekindled friendships,” you repeated. You watched the drink approach your mouth, practically in slow motion.There was nothing wrong, nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong.

“It doesn't taste like I remember,” you said out loud without meaning to. He smiled.

“These bars are always selling out, they probably replaced the good vodka with something cheap,” he huffed, evidently appalled at the nerve of the bar. You nodded absently and took another long drink. No, that wasn't a flavor you found in any vodka. You put your drink down, trying not to shake. Your brain was feeling fuzzy though. Suddenly you realized your eyes were having trouble focusing. There was something wrong, something wrong, something was definitely wrong.

      “I'm gonna go ask the bartender for another drink,” you told him, holding onto the stool as you stood. Your legs felt flimsy.

“That's a waste of money, might as well finish this off. Then we'll just get another,” he said, shrugging casually. It sent some alarm off in the back of your head.

“No it... It's fine. I'll pay for this one. I'll be right back,” you said slowly, your brain struggling to keep up with your mouth. Or perhaps it was the other way around. You tried to walk confidently to the other side of the bar, but your feet were having trouble working. You made a point of standing with the crowd, trying to figure out what you were going to do. Out of your peripheral you saw the side door. The sudden need to get out of here was crushing. You had to get away from him, from all these people. You had to leave. You looked back to see him staring at his drink and made a break for it. The rush of cool air after the heat of the bar was confusing but refreshing. You didn't know which way to go, only that you had to get home. You were in an alley, you headed up towards the street. Even though he wasn't behind you when you looked around, you could feel the urgency pushing you. It made you stumble over your own feet and hand hard on your hands and knees. You whimpered and tried to stand, but you could barely tell which way was up now, so you crawled. You crawled and hoped someone would realize something was wrong. When you heard footsteps running over to you and felt a hand on your back you shrieked, moving ungracefully to try and fight it off. Until a voice, familiar even through the traffic noise that seemed to block out anything else, made you stop.

“Woah, hey, hang on, it's just me. It's Nyx.”

You blinked up at a form that was growing more blurry by the second. It was a familiar shape. It was enough to make your brain trust it.

“Shit, you're really fucked up,” it said, and a warmth around your body pulled you upright.

      He'd just been trying to deliberate whether he should just leave or wait and see if you were alright when he found you in the alley. He had an arm around your waist, trying to keep you upright.

“H-He... You...” you tried to tell him, but he cut you off to make it easier for you.

“I know, Princess, I know.”

He got you out to the street and sighed.

“You live nearby?” he asked. You shook your head after a moment. Well.. He could always ride with you and make sure you got home.

“You live alone?” he continued. It took you a minute to remember, evidently, until you finally nodded. Maybe you shouldn't be alone right now.

“Alright, I live close by, I'm gonna take you to my place. That okay?” he hoped you said yes because if you went home and hit your head or something he'd feel like shit. You nodded.

      Nyx made you sit on something soft, something comfortable that made you want to curl up. You didn't realize you were actually trying to lay down until you felt a hand on your shoulder steadying you, keeping you upright.

“Hang on, not yet.”

You whined in irritation. He left, and came back with a glass of water and a large container of some kind. A bowl maybe?

“You... Might need this in the morning,” he warned, sounding almost apologetic.

“How much did you drink?” he asked. You couldn't form the words, your tongue felt heavy. You held up 2 fingers.

“Two? Two what? Drinks?” he sounded concerned. You shook your head and immediately stopped because that just made you dizzy. You took a breath and focused on enunciation.

“Sips.”

You heard an audible sigh of relief.

“Okay... I don't think thats enough to do any damage... Just... Try to sleep it off. Yell for me if it gets worse,” he instructed. You finally laid down.

 *****       It wasn't long after Nyx woke that he registered the unpleasant sound of you retching in the next room. He grimaced and swung his legs over the side of the couch, rubbing his head. Now he had to face what would undoubtedly be more wrath. He knocked on the partially opened door before slipping inside. You had just rinsed your mouth out and when you saw him you tensed visibly in alarm. *****

“Got it all out of your system?” he asked lightly.

“Ulric? What the hell are you doing in m--” Then you noticed. Holy shit. This was not your house.

“This... I'm not at my...” you were confused and a little weak. You glanced nervously at the other side of the bed, the covers didn't look used. Nyx saw your gaze and gave a hearty eye roll in response.

“Don't worry, Princess. I slept on the couch.”

You sighed and leaned back against the headboard. He tentatively sat at the foot of the bed.

“Do you remember anything?” he asked a little more gently. You groaned and brought the heels of your palms to your eyes, trying to stave off a headache.

“Not... Really. I remember being on the ground for some reason... I kinda remember... Talking to you maybe?” you recounted. He sighed.

“What happened?” you demanded. He looked evasive, but you'd never let him get away without telling you.

“Someone uh... Someone drugged you. Probably why you don't remember much,” he said. You blinked at him, trying to wrap your head around it.

“You mean someone who wasn't you?” you half joked. He just turned a steely gaze on you.

“He was a friend of yours,” he said, trying to keep from bragging. Bits and pieces came back but they were disconnected.

“Did.... Did he...?” you almost didn't want to know. Your relief must have been visible when Nyx shook his head.

“I found you in the alley, you were pretty messed up.”

You narrowed your eyes at him.

“And so... You decided to take me home instead?” you asked in suspicion. It surprised you when a flash of anger darkened his face.

“Yeah, didn't think you should be alone like this. You're welcome,” he said shortly and got up to leave the room.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

      In his state, Nyx decided target practice was probably the best idea. He knew better by now not to practice warping when he was distracted. Besides, he really needed to throw something sharp at something else. He must have been throwing harder than he realized because his blade stuck halfway into the dummy viciously.

“Six, what'd he do to you? Steal your parking space?” Crowe quipped from behind him. He turned on his way to retrieve his blade. She met him at the throwing line, standing back just enough to watch him throw.

“Seriously, what's got you so pissed off?” she asked, arms crossed over her chest. He hesitated then shook his head and threw again.

“Nothing,” he mumbled. He missed by a mile this time. Her eyebrows shot up as she followed the course of his blade. That was not nothing.

“Fine, whatever. You know where ____ is? Haven't seen 'em all day,” she mused. He shrugged.

“Must be sick then,” he half-lied. If Crowe knew you were at his apartment neither of you would ever live it down. He missed again.

“Is that why you're so grumpy? _____ isn't here?” she asked slyly.

“Fuck off,” he said, a little more lightheartedly, before stalking off to grab his blades.

      When he got home, he was almost relieved to see you weren't waiting for him. He didn't know how he would approach the awkward question of getting you home. He was at least pleased to see the coffee he left you gone. The cab fare, however, was still on the table. Stupid. He shook his head and slipped it back into his pocket.

      You weren't there the next day either. It set an uncomfortable feeling in the back of his mind, but it didn't worry him. You were probably still recovering, mentally and physically. Still, the strangeness of it was affecting him more than he would like. He couldn't do target practice forever, and he kept making small mistakes. Dodging the wrong way when he should have known better, warping a little off the mark, stumbling when he landed. Enough to make other Glaives look at him funny, even whisper occasionally. He didn't even want to know what they were saying. He was just having an off day, that's all. He hit the showers early.

      When you didn't show up all the next day either, the discomfort turned into something worse. A suspicion that something was off. It only turned to worry when Crowe asked again if he'd heard from you. You wouldn't answer your phone or your radio.

“Tell me where they live, I'll go check in,” he offered. Mostly to sate his own concern.

“If they wont answer me, you really think they want to see you?” she asked, writing down your address.

“If they're being stubborn, who knows better how to get under their skin?” he said with flourish and headed for the gates.

      Every second that ticked by on his way to your apartment reverberated in his chest. The wait was impossible, and while he didn't want to unpack why he was so worried, the fact was that he couldn't get there soon enough. He practically hammered on your apartment door the second he got there.

“______?” he called out. No answer. He hammered again.

“______ it's me, it's Nyx. Open the door!” he called again, a note of panic now etching his voice.

“______ I will seriously let you punch me right now if you just open the door. Free shot,” he offered. He leaned in and listened through the door, there was absolutely no noise inside.

“Shit...” he growled as he kicked the door. He'd have to break in. If you came home and demanded he get out of your house then at least you were back to normal. He wasn't exactly experienced at breaking in, though. He summoned a flame and held it under the deadbolt, hoping maybe the warping metal might help. The flame heated up the lock, and licked at the wooden door, making scorch marks and slowly eating away at the wood. He heard a click and immediately threw his body weight into pushing the door open. After a couple tries it slammed open. He scanned the apartment, it was dark. He called out your name again, knowing it was probably pointless. He glanced inside rooms as he passed them, then opened a closed door. A bedroom. He paused briefly when he saw your form on the bed, sleeping it looked like. Until he said your name again and you didn't wake. He flew across the room and turned on the bedside lamp, examining the scene. Nothing looked off at first, until your arm fell onto the bed and an empty prescription bottle tumbled out of your hand.

“Dammit!”

He checked for a pulse, it was faint, but still there. He dialed emergency services.

      It was 1 in the morning and he was wide awake, pacing, fidgeting. The only time he stopped moving was when a nurse came out to address him.

“Are you the relative or spouse?” she asked. He shifted awkwardly on his feet.

“No just... Co-worker..” he replied uncertainly.

“Your friend is okay. Recovering from the stomach pump right now,” she reassured. He let out a breath.

“Visiting hours start at 9AM tomorrow, if you'd like. Though I can't promise they'll be awake much tomorrow,” she warned. He nodded, suddenly feeling tired in the crash of adrenaline.

“Yeah. Thanks I'll...” what would he do?

“I'll see how it goes.”

      The next day was spent telling most people a censored version of what happened. It felt a little wrong, telling so many people. They'd never let him just keep it to himself, and word probably would have gotten around anyways. The strangest part was when people gave him a pitying look. His friends stopped by more than usual, trying to be casual but clearly checking in on him. Sweet but unnecessary and... A little strange. You were the one in the hospital. It felt like everyone knew something he didn't. Maybe he was dying. He almost protested when they gave him a stationary guard that day, but he was pretty tired. He probably wouldn't be any use in practice anyways.

      The second day, a group of them had decided to visit you. They urged him to come along, but it would have felt weird. He wasn't used to so much contact with you and frankly it was starting to mess with his head in strange ways. He wanted things to go back to normal. At least he thought he did. He wanted to disconnect, nothing good could come from forming an attachment. Besides, he had a few guesses as to what happened, and he didn't want other people to be around when that conversation happened. If it happened. He had a feeling you wouldn't want other people there either.

      Still, his worry increased exponentially and by the third day, Nyx was spacing out so often he'd completely forgotten to eat all day.

“--Nyx? Hey!”

He blinked out of his trance and looked up to see Pelna looking at him skeptically.

“Sorry, uh... What?” he asked. Pelna shook his head.

“Man.... You know it's pretty obvious you're worried. Just go visit,” he nudged. Nyx opened his mouth to protest but Pelna spoke over him.

“You know they've got no family here.”

Nyx narrowed his eyes at the ground.

“I didn't, actually...” he mused. Maybe he'd have to make a plan after all.

      The first thing you saw when you started to wake was a form leaning up against the far wall. As you blinked your eyes clear you were surprised to see Nyx looking up from his phone and walking over to your bedside. He placed a cup of water into your hands as you sat up, groaning, and took a seat in the chair next to you.

“Better?” he asked as he helped you put the glass on the beside table. You nodded, taking a breath.

“They said you're the one who... Called the ambulence,” you said finally. He nodded awkwardly.

“How.. Did you get into my apartment?” you probed. He looked a little guiltily to the side.

“Uh, yeah, you might need a new lock...”

You fought against a smile.

“You broke into my house?” you asked, more playful than angry.

“I mean if you wanna be technical about it...”

“Why?”

He seemed taken off guard by the quesiton.

“What? When a Glaive goes off the radar for 3 days people get worried,” he said, you could hear some annoyance in his voice. You stared down at your hands for a while.

“Well?” You couldn't handle the silence, and you knew you were both avoiding the inevitable.

“Well what?” he threw the ball back in your court.

“Are you going to ask me a thousand questions about why I did it?”

“Well not when you say it like _that_ ,” he answered, and this time you couldn't help smiling just a little. You could see him relax. He stood and stretched.

“Well, I probably shouldn't keep you awake too long. Just figured I'd stop by and see how you were,” he said tiredly.

“I'm... Glad you did,” you admitted. It was hard being in the hospital alone.

“Yeah? Is that fondness I hear? The kitty finally ready to put away its claws?” he teased. You sighed and closed your eyes.

“You're an ass Ulric,” you said with much less venom than you normally would.

“Yeah, heard that one before,” he said and slipped out of the room.

      When you woke around noon the next day, you were almost disappointed not to find someone there. You reached for your water and did a double take when you saw a vase of flowers and a malboro plush sitting on the table. You grabbed it and looked over it in amusement. What a strange gift. A nurse knocked and bustled in.

“Good to see you're awake. Your friend left those earlier,” she said, nodding at the presents, “are you hungry?”

You shook your head, but she placed a cup of fruit and yogurt on your side table anyways.

“My friend?” you asked. She smiled.

“The cute one, who brought you in,” she clarified. Oh. You felt yourself grow a little warm despite your best efforts to not care. That explained the strangeness of the gift. Still... It was soft and kinda cute.

      The next time Nyx visited, a couple days later, he was more pleased than he would admit to see you sleeping curled up with the plush in your arms. He had turned to leave when he heard your voice quietly behind him.

“Hey...”

He looked at you again and went to sit on the chair.

“Did I wake you up?”

You shook your head and stretched.

“These meds have got my sleeping schedule all fucked up,” you groaned. He laughed. You reached over and touched the flowers delicately.

“They're really beautiful,” you admired. He nodded.

“Back home we give them to people in recovery. Legend says it speeds up the process. Now, though, it's mostly tradition,” he shrugged. You leaned forward curiously. He never really talked about home, least of all to you. You gave your plush a squeeze.

“What about him? Are malboros sacred?” you asked with a grin. He smiled good naturedly.

“Just popular, and actually kinda tastey,” his smile widened at the horrified look on your face.

“When I broke my arm once my sister gave me one just like that.”

“I guess it is kinda cute...” you said fondly.

“See? He grows on you.”

It was strange, sitting there with Nyx Ulric of all people, in a relatively comfortable silence. Something you never would have thought even a week ago.

“Any idea when you're getting out?” he asked.

“They wanna keep me until they're sure I'm not a danger to myself anymore,” you said with a heavy sigh. He shifted in his seat.

“Are you?” he asked seriously. You rubbed your head.

“I... I don't know...” you confessed. He leaned forward and looked at you, there was an intensity you'd never seen before.

“Would you do it again?” he asked again. You felt yourself a little captivated, suddenly realizing how pretty his eyes were... Your chest hurt, suddenly and ferociously, and you looked up at the glaring lights to keep from crying.

“I don't fucking know...” you repeated. It really depended on how your life started to look, and right now it didn't look like anything would change. He only nodded. When he stood you felt his hand brush the top of your head quickly.

“Take a nap, Princess,” he said softly as he went to leave.

“Come back tomorrow,” you said without thinking. He wouldn't admit that he had already planned to, but he locked eyes with you and nodded.

      When Nyx walked in the next day you could tell he was up to something. Carrying his jacket hung around his arm, skirting past the nurse who was on her way out. He watched her leave before closing the door, alarming you a little.

“Uh....” you looked him over nervously. He sat in the chair.

“So I asked if we were allowed to bring in outside food and they said no....” he said, casting another look at the door before sliding a takeout box onto your table.

“So be quick.”

You looked between him and the box incredulously.

“Nyx!” you scolded, but your tone betrayed your amusement as you opened the box. You caught him suddenly grinning like a cat.

“Hey, that's the first time you've said my name,” he said, resting on his arms. You flushed a little when you realized he was right.

“I've said your name before,” you mumbled, looking down at the food. Something about your demeanor only encouraged him more.

“Not that name.”

You studied the food.

“What is it?” you asked.

“Try it first,” he demanded. He sounded like a parent. Instead, you looked closer.

“Wait, is that a tentacle?” you asked in alarm. Instead of replying he quickly speared a piece and pushed it past your open lips before you could protest and watched you curiously. You took the fork and removed it from your mouth. You chewed and hummed thoughtfully.

“This is... Really good,” you announced. You could've sworn he sat a little prouder.

“Told you they were tastey,” he said with a grin. You blinked and tried to piece it together when your eyes landed on the plush. Your eyes widened.

“Wait, seriously?” you asked.

“Can't take it back now,” he taunted.

“No, I mean... It's still really good... I don't think I can eat all this though,” you said. He snagged the fork out of your hand and stabbed another bite.

“Like I was gonna let you finish it all,” he huffed, putting the bite in his mouth. You stole the fork back.

“Besides, I've seen you in the food court, you eat slow. If I left it all to you they'd find us before we finished it.”

You took another bite.

“Why were you looking at me in the food court, Ulric?” you teased. You didn't expect him to get caught by it, but it did make him stumble a little.

“Because you're the weirdest, pickiest, slowest eater on the star,” he said with exasperation.

“Did you know there's a surprising number of ways to kill a man with a fork?” you asked innocently.

      The next time Nyx brought replacement flowers you were awake. He refilled the vase and switched the flowers as you watched.

“You know it's kind of boring at work without you to fight with,” he said. You laughed, picking out a flower and smelling it.

“Wow, you actually laughed at my joke,” he said, sounding actually a little surprised.

“Yeah, don't get used to it. I'm still on a few drugs,” you taunted, but you were smiling.

“So... Seriously, how are you doing?” he asked. He looked so genuine you were taken aback for a minute.

“Well.. The doctor says I'm showing improvement so I probably won't be sent to the Psych Ward...”

He shook his head.

“I don't mean what they think. What do you think?”

You took a steady breath as you thought about it. Then you looked up at him.

“I'm starting to think.... Maybe I'm not the friendless loser I thought I was,” you said. He looked startled.

“You seriously thought...?” he sounded kind of appalled.

“Someone I thought was my friend tried to rape me,” you said plainly, feeling a little dizzy.

“Believe it or not, that's not the worst betrayal I've ever felt. But it just keeps happening, and I never seem to make any friends and...” you had to stop when your voice cracked and you looked at the bright lights again.

“What about us?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“We're friends,” he said simply. This startled you. What startled you more was that you didn't immediately want to deny it.

“I mean that's what that nurse keeps saying...” he said with a shrug. It made you giggle and the threat to cry passed.

“If I asked what could be worse than a friend trying to rape you, would you answer?” he asked. You thought hard for a moment, then nodded.

“An ex-lover, turning your family in to the Niffs for being part of a resistance. Getting them all... All killed.”

“Six...” he breathed.

“No wonder you act like everyone's out to get you,” he said with a small smile that you returned. A thread of understanding passed between you.

“Do yourself a favor, alright? Don't blame yourself,” he said suddenly. Your heart constricted as you looked up at him.

“Look I've been down that road, my story isn't a whole lot different from yours actually. It wasn't... None of it was your fault,” he said with confidence. The threat to cry was no longer a threat as you suddenly felt tear tracks down your face. You were overwhelmed, bringing your knees up and burying your face in the blanket to muffle your crying. You didn't want a nurse barging in here. You expected Nyx to leave, to slip out awkwardly. Instead he scooted closer and made long strokes with his hand from the top of your head down your back. He stayed that way through the whole half hour it took to calm you. When you finally sniffled to a stop and lifted your head, he helped dry your face.

“You good?” he asked, and the cavalier attitude made you laugh through your sniffles. You nodded. He stood.

“Alright, they're probably about to come kick me out, so I'd better go. I'll see you tomorrow.”

You caught him as he was about to open the door.

“Nyx...”

He turned to look back at you expectantly.

“Thanks. I mean for like.. Everything the past week,” you said as genuinely as you could. He looked surprised, but pleased. Then he went back to his smarmy self.

“What are heroes for?” he said with a nod before leaving. Strangely, you were finding his ridiculous charm more endearing than annoying.

      “Guess what!” you exclaimed practically the second he walked in. He raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“Okay I'll bite. What?” he asked.

“They're releasing me soon.”

“What, really?” he hurried to go sit in the chair. You nodded.

“What changed so suddenly?”

“Someone convinced me to like myself a little more. Made me feel less alone. Made me think maybe they're worth pursuing. And I'd have to be alive to do that...” you tested. He moved closer.

“Pursuing, huh? Pursuing how?” he challenged. You took the chance, and leaned in to press a quick kiss to his lips. You didn't want to pull away, but you didn't want to pressure him.

“Hmm.... Something tells me you're not gonna have to try very hard,” he responded, then closed the distance again, holding the kiss longer this time. When you broke, you were trying to collect your thoughts.

“You know Crowe's never gonna let us live this down...” he warned.

 


End file.
